Crowds gather at the Men’s Beauty popup store set up by CJ Olive Young on Hongdae Festival Street in Mapo District, Seoul, Aug. 31. Korea Times photo by Park Jun-seok Olive Young’s first Men’s Beauty popup attracts 12,000 visitors in 10 days By KTimes On the afternoon of Aug.
31, a long line formed stretching over 50 meters outside the building of Soo Karaoke on Hongdae Festival Street in Mapo District, Seoul. It wasn't a crowd waiting to sing. Instead, in the sweltering heat above 30 degrees Celsius, they were eagerly awaiting entry into CJ Olive Young's "Men’s Beauty" popup store.
Inside, the store was packed with customers trying out products, leaving barely any room to move. Young men were seriously testing moisturizers that combined hydration, sun protection, and skin tone correction, as well as lip balms with a natural tint. Many were purchasing items recommended by their girlfriends.
This was CJ Olive Young’s first male-focused beauty popup since the company’s inception. Initially, organizers were unsure about its success, given the prevailing question of "Why would men wear makeup?" To mitigate this perception, they even set up a booth for razor brand Gillette at the entrance. However, their cautious approach proved unnecessary.
Over 10 days (Aug. 30 to Sept. 8), the popup attracted more than 12,000 visitors.
On Sept. 7 alone, around 2,000 people showed up. A company spokesperson said, "80 percent of the visitors were men," confirming the potential of this.